Thinking about Tsunami Prediction

Like most people, I have been following the aftermath of the recent calamitous tsunamis in southeast Asia. With that in mind, a Friday discussion of tsunami prediction on NPR was interesting:

Sunday’s earthquake off Indonesia unleashed tsunamis that destroyed coastal regions hundreds and thousands of miles away, and killed over 100, 000 people. We talk about tsunami science and prediction. What do scientists know about tsunamis? How do you predict when they’re coming and how big they’ll be?